596 



NORTH CAROLINA. 



Legislative Session. The regular biennial 

 session of the General Assembly began on Jan. 

 8 and ended on March 9. On Jan. 20 United 

 States Senator Zebulon B. Vance, Democrat, 

 was re-elected for the term of six years from 

 March 4, receiving 40 votes in the Senate to 7 

 for Jeter C. Pritchard, Republican, and 86 votes 

 in the House to 13 for Pritchard and 1 for Oliver 

 H. Dockery, Republican. An important result 

 of the session was the passage of a law creating 

 a railroad commission and regulating railroad 

 charges and management. The commission con- 

 sists of three members elected by the General 

 Assembly, one member retiring every two years. 

 It is required to make and enforce reasonable 

 and just rates of freight and passenger tariffs, 

 or it may cause rates to be furnished to it by 

 any railroad company, such rates when approved 

 by the commission being binding upon the com- 

 pany. It shall also make rules as to charges at 

 all stations for the necessary handling and de- 

 livery of freight; shall make regulations to pre- 

 vent unjust discrimination in the transportation 

 of freight and passengers, and to prevent the 

 giving, paying, or receiving of any rebate or 

 bonus, directly or indirectly ; shall establish just 

 rates of charges for the use of railroad cars carry- 

 ing all kinds of freight and passengers ; and shall 

 make, or cause to be furnished by the several 

 roads, joint through rates for freight and passen- 

 gers. The rates established by the commission 

 shall be deemed to be prima facie reasonable, 

 but an appeal from its decision will be allowed to 

 the Superior Court, and thence to the Supreme 

 Court of the State. The board shall investigate 

 the business of railroads in the State, and for 

 that purpose may visit the respective railroad 

 offices, examine their books, and inquire gener- 

 ally into the management of the roads. The 

 commissioners are given power, whenever they 

 deem it expedient or practicable, to require any 

 railroad to provide separate and equal accommo- 

 dations for the white and colored races on pas- 

 senger trains and at passenger stations and wait- 

 ing-rooms. They are further required to make, 

 or cause to be made, just and reasonable rates of 

 charges for the transportation of packages by 

 express companies, and for the transmission of 

 messages by telegraph lines. 



A new revenue act provides for the levy of a 

 poll tax of 75 cents, and of an annual ad valorem 

 tax of 25 cents on each $100 for State revenue 

 purposes. A tax of 1 per cent, is levied on all 

 incomes and profits derived from property not 

 taxed, and of one half of 1 per cent, on all in- 

 comes derived from salaries or fees. Various 

 license taxes are imposed on different kinds of 

 business, the tax on liquor dealers 1'or selling in 

 quantities of 5 gallons or less being $100 per 

 annum, and for selling in quantities of 5 gallons 

 or more $200 per annum. The following privi- 

 lege taxes are established among others : On rail- 

 road, steamboat, and canal companies doing busi- 

 ness in the State a tax equal to 1 per cent, of 

 their gross receipts ; on express, telegraph, and 

 telephone companies, 2 per cent, of their gross re- 

 ceipts ; and on sleeping and parlor-car companies 

 $50 for each car run in the State. Railroad and 

 canal companies that pay a tax on their property 

 shall be exempt from this tax, but those that are 

 taxed on their capital stock and personal prop- 

 erty, and not on their real estate, shall pay a tax 

 of one half of 1 per cent, of their gross re- 

 ceipts. Coupled with this enactment is a new 

 law revising and re-enacting the law for the as- 

 sessment of property and the collection of taxes. 

 By another act the State tax for school purposes 

 ses is raised from 12 to 15 cents on each $100 of 

 property and from 35 to 45 cents on polls. 



A new oyster law imposes numerous restric- 

 tions and regulations upon the oyster industry. 

 The Governor is given power to enforce the 

 fish and oyster laws of the State, and to employ 

 so much of the military or other power as may 

 be necessary, the sum of $1.500 being appropri- 

 ated for his use. It is made unlawful for any 

 person to take oysters from the public grounds 

 or natural oyster beds of the State with any 

 dredge, scoop, or other instrument, except suc-h 

 tongs as are worked by the hand and in ordi- 

 nary use among oystermen. 



For the purpose of suppressing the emigrant 

 agents, who in recent years have induced large 

 numbers of negroes to leave the State, an act 

 was passed requiring each agent to obtain u 

 license from the State Treasurer before engag- 

 ing in his business. Such license shall continue 

 for one year, and the fee therefor shall be $1.- 

 000 for each county in which such agent does 

 business. This is practically a prohibition of 

 their business. 



The State was redistricted for members of 

 the State Senate and House of Representatives, 

 and the following new congressional districts 

 were formed : 



1. Counties of Beaufort, Camdcn, Carteret, Chow an, 

 Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Paui- 

 lico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and 

 Washington. 



2. Bertie, Edgecombe, Greene, Halifax, Lenoir, 

 Vance, Northampton, Warren, Wilson, and Wayne. 



3. Bladen, Cumberland, Duplin, Craven, Harnett, 

 Jones, Moore, Onslow, and Sampson. 



4. Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Johnston, Nash, 

 Orange, and Wake. 



5. Alamance, Caswell, Granville, Guilford, Person, 

 Eandolph, Eockingham, and Stokes. 



.6. Anson. Brunswick, Columbus, Mecklenburg, 

 New Hanover, Pender, Eichmond, Eobeson, and 

 Union. 



7. Cabarrus. Davidson, Davie, Iredell, Montgomery, 

 Eowan, Stanley, Yudkin, Lincoln, and Catawba. 



